Bilan of the 8th edition of Dream City
Tunis, from 30 Sept. to 9 Oct. 2022
From 30 September to 9 October 2022, Dream City drafted a new page in its history, and the impact of this new edition continues to resonate.
Devoted to our mission of contextual creation, the ten creations produced for this edition – through their innovation and pertinence, and their desire to speak out – have ensured that the festival "includes currently serving as a sounding board for the issues and interpellations that stir the Tunisian population". (Jeune Afrique)
Works such as Metamorphosis #2 by Essia Jaïbi, Lybia by Radouan Mriziga or …عن by Malek Gnaoui and Ala Eddine Slim have been a success for both the audience and the media and will continue their international journey. Cypher by Ridha Tlili, with the energy and talent of 5 young dancers of Sidi Bouzid will be touring in Tunisia in 2023. We are working on it.
The "Between Land and Sea" summit with more than twenty international experts examined the political, economic and environmental strata of the Mediterranean as seen from the south. "During these debates, (the Mediterranean) was compared to the “walls of shame” … " (La Presse de Tunisie). We crossed this complex sea with the unique voyage introduced via The Journey by Rossella Biscotti, or with Rébétiko Malouf by Nidhal Yahyaoui who revived the scene of Hotel Saint-Georges as well as Café Zaazaa.
This is also, what Dream City is about: reinvesting unconventional, overlooked and crumbling spaces with 28 of these spaces picked this year. Two phases of creation were presented to the public, these projects that will carry on in 2023: Andrew Graham’s Lines that transcend allocations, and Natural Contract LAb with whom we are paving the way for artistic and reflective work on ecology as an organization. We will continue our path with these artists and others for Dream City 2023.
The festival presented a programme of films and videos mainly from the MENA region and Africa with a focus on the films of John Akomfrah and Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige.
For the first time, Dream City has dedicated the municipal Theatre of the city of Tunis to two great female talents from Africa, Emel Mathlouthi and Alsarah. Halls in harmony. A series of three free-of-charge concerts in El Hafsia Square wrapped the festival. "Two key venues in Tunis: the Municipal Theatre and the Hafsia Square were imbued with the rhythms of various music genres from all over the world: «Alsarah and the Nubatones» and «Love and Revenge» animated their Tunisian audiences, who were astonishingly young and large. (La Presse de Tunisie)
The diversity of the festival’s activities and the annual programmes of L'Art Rue have made it possible to promote the complexity of relations.
>> Dream City's 8th edition in figures
10 days of festival and 2 weekends: performance, dance, theatre, music, film, exhibitions, meetings, etc.
12 contextual creations
55 artistic proposals - over 200 performances - 28 venues
163 artists involved in the festival, including 27 young emerging artists of 15 different nationalities
19,500 festival-goers
124 children and teenagers were accompanied on à la carte artistic itineraries (Kharbga City);
76 residents of the medina and 16 young assistants were hired to work on the projects;
29 young people were supervised and supported as part of the creations;
126 volunteers were involved in supporting the artists and festival-goers.
We sincerely thank all of them.
Several projects have forged links with associations, universities, public organizations and many individuals who accompany us in our mission. We are grateful to them and their efforts.
Finally, we thank our audience – more than 19,500 people during 10 days of the festival – without whom this emotional journey would not have been this profound.
See you at the 9th edition of Dream City from 22 September to 8 October 2023!
Download
Dream City 2022 activity report
